PM vows to press on with welfare cuts despite growing rebellion

Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “press ahead” with the government’s planned welfare changes, despite a growing rebellion from Labour backbench MPs.

More than 120 Labour MPs have signed up to an effort to block plans to cut disability and sickness-related benefits payments to save £5bn a year by 2030.

The threatened rebellion is enough to wipe out the government’s working majority in Parliament.

But speaking ahead of a meeting of Nato leaders, the prime minister said the current welfare system was “unsustainable” and could not be left unreformed.

Asked by journalists if he would consider pausing the reforms given the size of the rebellion, Sir Keir said: “I intend to press ahead”.

He added that the current welfare system “traps people” on benefits, and…